Pubdate: Thu, 07 Dec 2006 Source: Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL) Copyright: 2006 Sun-Sentinel Company Contact: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/159 Author: Chrystian Tejedor, South Florida Sun-Sentinel Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine) DEPUTY IN PALM BEACH COUNTY GANG UNIT IS ARRESTED ON EVIDENCE, DRUG- RELATED CHARGES A Palm Beach County sheriff's deputy previously accused of leaking information relating to the Port St. Lucie turnpike murder of a family of four was arrested Wednesday on unrelated charges, authorities said. Joseph Archambault, 34, surrendered to his attorney on charges of tampering with evidence and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was released from the Palm Beach County Jail after paying $3,000 bail, sheriff's spokesman Paul Miller said. While searching Archambault's unmarked squad car on two separate dates, supervisors found a red Tic-Tac container -- evidence in a Sheriff's Office case -- and a sipping straw cut down to three inches, court documents show. Both items had a residue that later tested positive for cocaine. The straw was found inside Archambault's blue briefcase Dec. 1, court documents show. Detectives found the Tic-Tac container in his car Nov. 22. Archambault, a detective in the gang unit, first told his superiors that the breath mint container was given to him that same day while helping deputies on a home invasion call. He planned to log it into evidence, he said. But investigators found the container in a folded brown paper bag that had been sealed in September and signed by Archambault. Archambault then told investigators that he tossed the Tic-Tac dispenser from Nov. 22 into a storm drain and that he forgot to log the dispenser from September. An investigation showed Archambault found the Tic-Tac dispenser during a traffic stop. Deputies who helped him in that stop said the container had a "significant amount" of what looked like crack cocaine. Neither the dispenser nor the drugs was logged into evidence, court documents show. Archambault previously surrendered to the Sheriff's Office on Nov. 30 on charges of giving information to a woman interviewed by detectives in the slaying of the Escobedo family along Florida's Turnpike Oct. 13. Authorities have arrested four people on federal drug charges and called them "persons of interest" in the murders of Jose Luis Escobedo, 28, his wife Yessica, 25, and their two sons, Luis Damien, 4, and Luis Julian, 3. While the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office has yet to make an arrest in the killings, authorities said Archambault did not taint the investigation because he talked to the woman after the persons of interest were jailed. His superiors said Archambault gave information to the woman because he wanted a romance. Archambault remains on unpaid leave while internal affairs officials conduct an investigation into his actions. Sheriff Ric Bradshaw will determine his fate at the agency. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake